


Affliction

by addressingstars



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Compliant, Humor, M/M, Saïx/Xemnas mentioned only, Sexual References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23095483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addressingstars/pseuds/addressingstars
Summary: Xemnas unwittingly gives Saïx something he can’t take back. Xigbar is eager to break the news to him.
Relationships: Saïx/Xemnas (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	Affliction

**Author's Note:**

> Braig/MX mentioned

“Hey boss, did you see Saïx this morning?”

“No…?” Xemnas answered slowly, scrambling to find the motive behind Xigbar’s question. There always was one. “Did you need him for a mission?”

“No! No way.” Xigbar threw his hands up and shook his head exaggeratedly, “We don’t ‘let’ Saïx do missions anymore after that last little … _incident_. You know, the one where he turned a city center into a smoking crater? No? I don’t think he remembers either…”

"Hhm," was all Xemnas was willing to give him in the way of acknowledgement. Although he was ‘The Superior’, he found himself far removed from the Organization’s mundane, day-to-day activities; delegating the management of the lower ranks to the brash Number II and his contemplative Number VII. Despite this, there were still issues that managed to slip through the cracks and worm their way up to his office. Most recently, he had to deal with a number of complaints regarding Saïx's behavior during missions: something about lack of discretion and subtlety. It wasn't that he was incompetent—in fact, if anything, he was extremely efficient at eliminating his assigned targets … along with anyone or anything else that happened to be in the area.

It was amusing to Xemnas but their petty concerns were beneath him. He told Xigbar to deal with it and to not bother him while he worked.

"This is something else," Xigbar leaned in conspiratorially and whispered—even though it was just the two of them in the foyer. Xemnas wrinkled his nose as his space was violated. "Have you _seen_ him, I mean."

"I have not, today," it wasn't entirely a lie.

"Well, he came to breakfast all moody and storm clouds like usual, and—I think he was trying to hide it—but he had-" Xigbar pointed animatedly to the sides of his head, "-I mean, his ears. They were like ours. All pointy and shit."

This grabbed Xemnas's attention. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and turned bodily to face Xigbar.

"But there was more!" Xigbar continued, very pleased with himself if his crooked grin was anything to go by. "I got really close when he was handing out paperwork and that's when I saw it."

"...Saw what?" Xemnas said impatiently. Although he himself was the master at beating around the bush, it grated on his nerves when Xigbar did it. He lacked elegance.

“His eyes, man. They were getting all yellowy around the center. Like when he goes all berserk but this time he had it when he wasn't berserk."

Xemnas’s mind was racing with a million different hypotheses, but he tried not to let it show. "You're saying that you approached number VII this morning and noticed his appearance changed?” He said carefully. “...I don't know what to tell you, Number II, besides the need to reemphasize the importance of focusing on the Organization's goals and to not waste time fraternizing with the other members.”

"Speak for yourself," Xigbar’s smile only widened.

Xemnas narrowed his eyes until they were nothing but amber slashes rimmed with silver. Xigbar knew. But how? Did Saïx tell him? Certainly Saïx's need to project an impervious outwards appearance would stop him from gossiping … at least with those he deemed beneath him.

Xigbar's face was alight with anticipation, waiting for Xemnas’s response. When Xemnas stayed silent and stone still, glaring at him like a gargoyle with garnet eyes, his expression faltered.

"You...don't know, do you?" He sighed.

"II, please, are you done wasting my time with your trivial ramblings? There are other, more pressing matters that require my attention..." Xemnas thought gossip was beneath him as well, even from someone he had known as long as Xigbar.

"I'm surprised you don't remember," Xigbar said. "It's kinda important."

Xemnas raised a gloved hand and opened a dark corridor to demonstrate to Xigbar that he was indeed done with this conversation. He would ask Saïx about Xigbar's rambling later.

"No no no, you gotta listen," Xigbar grabbed at his boss's shoulder. Xemnas brushed it off in disgust.

"The eyes and the ears, man, do you know how we got them?"

Xemnas turned back slightly. No, he didn't remember, but it was becoming easier to piece together what Xigbar was getting at. And the implications displeased him greatly.

"It's like a, like—" Xigbar chugged on, full steam ahead, "a venereal disease. You know, one that you get from—"

He made some obscene gestures with both hands. Xigbar was, if anything, very animated despite his lack of heart.

"You and Number VII? I guess I should have seen it coming.”

Xemnas did not grace this with an answer. In truth, he hadn’t seen it coming either. Saïx was dedicated, certainly—but even after all his years as a Nobody he still wasn't completely loyal to either his Superior or the Organization. Curious as Saïx was, Xemnas had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on him. It was entirely in the interest of keeping him in line, of course, and absolutely not because Xemnas had begun noticing him in a way that was new and strange to him.

The combination of Xemnas lurking around the common areas more frequently and Saïx not being allowed on missions meant that the two of them often found themselves alone in the castle with no one but each other for company.

Saïx must have noticed the momentary lapse in Xemnas’s absolute control because he kept pushing and pushing him closer towards a precipice he hadn't even realized he was standing on. The boundaries of professionalism had been crossed long ago, but now they were quickly approaching the point of no return.

Last night Saïx had been relentless—almost recklessly so—and he finally goaded Xemnas into dragging them both over the edge, plunging into deep and foreign waters...

One thought sprang unbidden to the forefront of Xemnas's mind, interrupting his ruminating. He couldn't help but ask:

"—Wait, _how was it given to me?_"

Xigbar shrugged. "The apprentice Xehanort had it, so I guess it sticks around even when one tosses out their heart."

"...And how did Xehanort get it?" Xemnas's brow creased further.

"I think when the old Master took control of that body you're wearing," he poked Xemnas in the chest to emphasize, "he must have spread it to him through that."

If Xemnas had a heart, he might have felt guilty about afflicting Saïx with whatever this … condition was. There was a tangle of wires in his mind when it came to the younger nobody, and the more prudent part of his brain thought it was best to just sweep all those new and confusing thoughts under the rug and ignore it.

One more question bubbled up, more horrible than the rest:

"How did _you_ get it?" Xemnas dared to ask, clawing furiously through his fragmented memories as he tried, with growing dread, to find the answer.

"Oh, me?" Xigbar said casually. "Old man Xehanort gave it to me straight. Well ... not _straight_, but you get what I mean. Say what you will—I couldn't even feel ashamed even if I wanted to. But I don't. Didn't. Whatever."

"—Look," Xigbar grinned, "don't try to think too hard about it."

Of course, Xemnas immediately did exactly the opposite, shifting through the pieces of Master Xehanort's memory only to instantly regret it. The blurry images in his mind showed mostly the same scenario on repeat: the old man tied up or restrained, and then there was Xigbar—_Braig_—doing somethi—

Xemnas wanted to wretch. Xigbar's rowdy laughter echoed off the walls of the empty room. Xemnas ordered him to shut up and make himself scarce (in more elegant terms, naturally), then took his dark corridor to his blessedly quiet office.

He would have to check on Saïx soon, but only to verify the credibility of Xigbar's account. And certainly not because he wanted to see for himself if sharp yellow eyes and otherworldly ears enhanced Saïx's otherwise savage and feral beauty.

Xemnas scrubbed his hands over his face. What had he gotten himself into?

χ

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this for a while, too embarrassed to share it publicly haha. I'm sure this idea has been passed around before, but I wanted to throw in some in-denial Xemnas to complete the picture. Please let me know if there are any typos and share what you think 🙏
> 
> HMU twitter.com/torrentia_fp


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